12.29.2009

URGENT NEED! IMMEDIATE REQUEST

As I write this, I pray that each of you seeing this blog over the next few days will read through the entire blog and act upon what you feel the Lord is calling you to do! We have an incredible opportunity before us and we are asking for your help!

Well, the opportunity if finally before us! For those of you who know us or have been keeping up with this blog, we have had a major struggle since coming to Liberia. TRANSPORTATION! I know this is not something that many consider to be an important issue when looking at ministry opportunities, but let me explain a bit more!

Spirit Liberia is focused on prison ministry, Church/Pastor/Elder training, agricultural sustainability projects, and humanitarian aid. Much, or most to be exact, of our work is outside of the main city of Monrovia. We are currently the only organization focused on reaching the interior prisons of Liberia with the gospel on a regular basis. And our success has been incredible, but is hurting because of our need for more suitable transportation.

Since moving to Liberia in August of 2009, about five months ago, we have had to survive by traveling around in a car that can seat only five people. A small hatchback that is falling apart at the seams (well - I guess falling apart at the "solder joints" could be more appropriate in this case!).

Also, the car does not have air-conditioning and as you can imagine in Liberia that makes travel very uncomfortable. We also have to travel around with the windows down which has become a very serious problem in the past month. Due to increased rogue (thieving) activity, Vanessa has been attacked four times through the window. People have jumped in the back seat causing a diversion for others to jump in the front window, on top of Vanessa, to reach for things in the car. They have stolen a cell phone, which we have not been able to replace yet, and it is a dangerous situation to say the least. Vanessa has also broken a fingernail in one mans arm as he had another cell phone in his hand. Thankfully God gave Vanessa a better grip than that poor man who has had to extract a fingernail from his arm!

Since being in Liberia (I arrived mid-December) I have personally had to push the car alongside Vanessa as we tried to "push-start" it. It has been such a difficult issue since moving here and has been one of the major hurdles to our ability to increase our travel to the interior for evangelism and agricultural projects. We have not even been able to take the entire family to church on Sunday morning together because of the size of the vehicle.

Lastly, the past few trips to the interior, for instance when we delivered all of the gifts to the orphanage near Ganta a few weeks ago, the trip cost us almost $800.00US because we had to rent a car for three days. It should not have to cost us so much to do ministry in the interior!

BUT WE HAVE INCREDIBLE NEWS!!! Just in the past few days, we have had a partner step-up and offer to help get our difficult vehicle situation solved. This partner has offered a matching gift of up to $3,500.00US for a new vehicle for Spirit Liberia. Now most NGO's (humanitarian organizations) in Liberia have at least one Land Rover which costs around $25,000 used. But we are not asking for this. We simply want something that can give us the means to continue what we are doing and be more effective at it and spend less money than we have had to lately to accomplish what we are doing.

We have done some investigation and found a Toyota 4-Runner, 1993, in good condition that we believe we will be able to get for around $7.000.00US. It has air-conditioning, and a few other things that will really enhance our ability to continue to strengthen our ministry here and protect us as we drive. We are asking for your help! Let me say it again, we are asking for your help! Will you please consider what you can do today to help?

This partner has agreed to match any gifts given prior to January 5, 2010, up to $3,500.00US. This means that your gift will be doubled. If you give $20, it will be $40 towards the vehicle. If you give $500, it will be $1000! What an incredible opportunity and a wondeful way to finish off 2009 knowing that we will be able to reach more people with the gospel in 2010.

Please consider immediately what you can do. We are so thankful to God for His provisions and we are believing that enough people will see this blog and act immedately to allow us to see this incredible blessing come to fruition.